(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to conveyor systems, and more particularly relates to a conveyor system for receiving hamburger patties, which are rapidly dispensed from a forming apparatus, and transporting the same, in groups, to a point of use or a station for further processing.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Molding machines or apparatus have been heretofore developed for producing food items, such as hamburger patties, from an agglomerable mass of edible material. After formation, the formed patties were dispensed or otherwise place on a conveyor on which they were transported to a different area or station for further processing, such as broiling and/or freezing and subsequent packaging. More recently, molding machines or apparatus have been developed which are capable of forming hamburger patties at a very high rate. An example of a molding machine or apparatus capable of the aforementioned high volume operation is disclosed in the Orlowski U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,241 and the Orlowski et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,167, both of which are assigned to the assignee of this application.
While it is desirable to produce patties at a high rate of speed, so far as is known, no conveyors are presently available which can receive and transport patties in a particular arrangement after being formed so that subsequent operations can be performed on the patties in a most efficient manner.
A somewhat similar problem has been encountered in the commercial breadmaking field where it is frequently necessary to rapidly remove loaves of baked bread from a cooler after baking. Conveyor systems suited for this purpose which employ a movable selector conveyor for delivering the loaves of bread in groups to one or more shelves of a tiered receiving conveyor are disclosed in the Hatch et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,724,486 and 2,739,694, and the Waite U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,307.
Conveying or stacking apparatus have also been developed for rapidly stacking articles after one or more operations have been performed thereon. An example of such an apparatus is disclosed in the Hoke et al U. S. Pat. No. 3,905,487, wherein the swingable end of a pivotally mounted feed conveyor moves between raised and lowered positions so as to selectively feed shingles either to an elevated platform or another conveyor disposed below the elevated platform. An electric eye is utilized in the Hoke et al stacking apparatus to sense gaps between the groups of shingles being conveyed and to change the position of the receiving conveyor in increments in accordance with the gaps sensed by the electric eye.
Conveyor systems and mechanisms have also been heretofore developed wherein the path of movement of items or articles being transported thereon were caused to change direction and move in a new direction transverse to the original path. Such a direction changing or flow dividing mechanism is disclosed in the Brand U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,969, wherein a plurality of rollers, which transport the articles in one direction, are lowered as a unit so as to permit the articles to contact the upper portions of a plurality of endless belts, which extend in a direction transverse to the original direction and serve to transport the articles in the transverse direction.
The Goldinger et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,789 discloses an apparatus or mechanism for changing the direction of movement of articles on a conveyor which is similar to the corner turning table or direction changing mechanism disclosed in the Brand U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,969.
The Balch et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,934,705 and 3,985,052 disclose conveyor systems for transporting bacon strips, wherein the strips undergo two changes of direction as they are transported along the stations of the system. A plurality of rotating, noncircular rods are utilized in the direction changing or transfer sections of the conveyor systems.
The aforementioned prior art conveyor systems and direction changing mechanisms lack the capability of being able to receive and transport items dispensed at a high rate of speed, such as in the range of 400 to 450 items per minute. The direction changing mechanisms utilized in the prior art conveyors are likewise incapable of changing the direction of items moving on one path to another path transverse to the one path at the rates contemplated for the indexing conveyor system of the present invention. Moreover, many of the direction changing mechanisms heretofore advanced were objectionable from the standpoint of being complex in construction and unreliable in operation.